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Ever since Queen of Shadows came out I’ve been thinking about all the amazing books coming out this fall (September, October, November) that I can’t wait to get my hands on! Some of them I actually didn’t even realize existed until I went on Goodreads and Chapters/Indigo to make this list… I’m not going to include synopses because I don’t want this post to be ridiculously long (also a lot of them are sequels and spoilers!), but I’ll include the link to the Goodreads page in case any of you are interested.

Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona StaplesRelease Date: September 9thGoodreadsI have never been more excited for a trade in my entire life. Honestly after reading volume 4 I just wanted to keep following the single issues, but I knew I would be irritated only getting one issue at a time. I will be picking this up tomorrow (assuming my comic book store has some)!

Why Not Me? by Mindy KalingRelease Date: September 15thGoodreads
I am obsessed with Mindy Kaling and cannot even begin to express how excited I am for this book and for the new season of The Mindy Project. Her first book was so hilarious and authentic and I’m anticipating this one will be just as good.

Library of Soulsby Ransom RiggsRelease Date: September 22ndGoodreads
Okay, so, I might be jumping ahead of things here. I haven’t actually read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children or Hollow City yet… But I want to marathon them in October because that’s in the Halloween spirit, right? They look creepy and so awesome!

Carry On by Rainbow RowellRelease Date: October 6thGoodreads
This might actually be my most anticipated release of the year. Rainbow Rowell is fantastic. Fangirl is probably one of my favourite books of all time and I found myself just as invested in the Carry On story as I was for Cath’s story. This is going to be fantastic *cue 9th doctor’s voice*.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. MartinRelease Date: October 6thGoodreads
Honestly I’m just hoping that these short stories can hold me off until The Winds of Winter comes out… whenever that is… Anything happening in Westeros past, present, or future is good enough for me! Bring it on George!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim KayRelease Date: October 6thGoodreads
I didn’t even know this was a thing until a week ago when I clicked on Chapter’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2015” list. Another set of Harry Potter books will soon be on my shelves… I’ll probably ask for this for Christmas since I can’t justify spending money on yet another set of the same books, but better believe I’m getting my hands on this one way or another.

After Alice by Gregory MacguireRelease Date: October 27thGoodreads
I read Wicked by Gregory Macguire because I have been obsessed with the musical Wicked since grade 8. I have yet to continue on with Wicked’s sequels or any of his other books, but Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of my favourite stories of all time. I’m really interested to see what kind of spin he puts on this classic story.

Winter by Marissa MeyerRelease Date: November 10thGoodreads
This books is fighting Carry On for my most anticipated book of this year. Despitethe fact that I questioned how cyborgs and fairy tale retellings would mesh, I found Cinder amazing, Scarlet was even better, and Cress literally blew me away. I even enjoyed Fairest, which is strange because I usually don’t like reading about the enemy. I hope Marissa Meyer never stops writing unique and charming books like these.

November 9 by Colleen HooverRelease Date: November 10thGoodreads
I just started reading new adult books recently and I’ve completely devoured all of Colleen Hoover’s books in such a short span of time. This woman has a serious gift. As tragic as the underlying themes may be, they are hilarious, the characters are so real and the emotions can be felt on so many different levels. I doubt this book will let me down.

Soundless by Richelle MeadRelease Date: November 10thGoodreads
Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’m interested in this books because it’s unlike anything I have ever read or solely because Richelle Mead wrote it. She is literally a goddess and I’m going to be sad leaving her vampire world behind, but I’m sure this book will blow me away just the same. I’m pretty sure it’s also suppose to be a standalone, which is a blessing for my bank and my tbr pile.

What’s your most anticipated book coming out in the next few months? Is anyone else as excited as I am for these ones? Let me know!

Well after almost two months of not posting I’m back and ready to buckle down, which is ironic since school starts next week and I will have little time to blog. In July I finished my summer school class so I had a ton of last minute readings, papers, and my final exam to focus on. I thought I wouldn’t have a lot of time for pleasure reading but I still managed to finish 7 books in the month of July, which honestly I’m pretty surprised with.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

I was spoiled for this book so I was really dreading reading it… I picked it up as an audiobook instead to provide some incentive to listen to it, but it still took forever… I enjoyed the story and I really cared for the characters, but the end still pissed the hell out of me. I still rated it 4 out of 5 stars though, because honestly, I don’t think it could have ended any other way.

2. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

For some reason I can’t find Castle in the Air anywhere in the edition that matches mine… So I skipped it and read House of Many Ways, but seeing as they are only companion novels it didn’t really matter. This book was really cute and quirky and I really enjoyed reading it. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars as well.

3. Confess by Colleen Hoover

Holy moly. I literally am blown away by Colleen Hoover. I think this book replaced Ugly Love as my favourite CoHo book. I had to put the book down to accommodate my sobs. Such a beautiful story. 5 out of 5 stars for the Queen of New Adult.

4. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

I’m sitting here drawing blanks when trying to recall what this book was even about… This is why I shouldn’t do wrap-ups two months late… All I remember was that I loved it and Jenny Han is so adorable and her writing is fantastic. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars though so something must have annoyed me??? Don’t remember??

5. The Golden Lilyby Richelle Mead

My goal was to read the rest of the Bloodlines series…
I love this series and I really loved this book! There was enough action, romance, humour, and everything else I love! 5 out of 5 stars!

6. The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

As you can see I did not complete my goal…
After I finished this book I kind of needed a break, I didn’t enjoy the third book as much as the second. I feel like too many things were going on that I couldn’t really enjoy it because my head was in too many places. But of course the Sydrian romance still made me give it a 4 out of 5. The suspense and plot twists were also on point.

7. Every Dayby David Levithan

I had this book on my shelf for ages and for some reason I could not get myself interested enough to read it. So, as I did with Allegiant, I got the audiobook. I actually really enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook, I think she did a really fantastic job. The story was really interesting to listen to and at some points I felt myself so entranced that I forgot what else I was doing, but I feel like had I have read it I wouldn’t have liked it as much. Still can’t decide if I will pick up the sequel. 4 out of 5 stars.

Honestly, I wish I had a legitimate excuse for why I didn’t blog in August, but I really don’t. Between working full time and trying to enjoy what bit of summer I had left, I really just didn’t want to sit down and blog. Then I went to NYC and the next thing you know August is almost over! I somehow managed to read another 7 books (well 6 books and a graphic novel). Apparently 7 is my lucky reading number! I also read a ton of single issue comics, but I couldn’t even begin to list them.

1. Slammed by Colleen Hoover

I got my really good friend at work hooked on Colleen Hoover so we binge read all of her books this summer. The only one I have left is Losing Hope. However, I let my friend borrow all of these books before I even read them. So I had her hounding me to read them every day after she finished them… As soon as I started reading this book I was obsessed. It was so cheesy and adorable, how could you not love it? Will was annoying as hell sometimes, but overall I loved it! 5 out of 5 stars, obvi.

2. Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

I didn’t think it was possible to love these characters anymore… Kiersten was probably my favourite character and she’s 11… I loved this book! It was so funny and so touching, but also so freaking sad near the end. You can see the conflict coming from a mile away and Will got even more annoying, but I still loved him and the story. 5 out of 5 again.

3. Thor, Vol. 1: Goddess of Thunder by Jason Aaron

This comic is fantastic! I started to buy the single issues a while ago, but then decided just to wait for the first volume and I’m glad I did, I wouldn’t have been able to read only one issue at a time! Amazing art and I love the lady version of Thor! It was also really funny! 5 stars here!

4. Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

For some reason I really felt like reading something sad and a bit dark and Ellen Hopkins is good at writing about tragic things so I gave this one a whirl. I read Burned years ago, so I had to look up a plot summary, but nevertheless I really enjoyed this book. Once I started reading it all started coming back to me and I’m really glad she wrote a second book so you could get some closure with the characters. It was a bit slow, but definitely worth the read! 4 out of 5 stars.

5. This Girlby Colleen Hoover

Okay this book really annoyed me. I thought it would be like a real third book in the series, not just Will and Layken replaying their whole relationship thus far. To be quite honest, I didn’t really care to know his perspective on things since it just seemed to annoy me even more. Boys are so stupid sometimes! But I’m glad I read it and I, of course, loved the end of the book when all the other characters come back into it! 4 out of 5 stars.

6. Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

I was pretty disappointed with this book. I felt like considering it was a lot shorter than the first book it should have packed a punch, but it really didn’t. It started out slow and I felt like nothing really happened. Even at the end when most people said they were like “WOAH, the ending!” or “Give me the next book!”, I was pretty much like “oh, okay, well that’s bizarre and kind of makes the whole book pointless”. I hope the next one is better! 3 out of 5 stars… Can we also briefly mention that the covers are getting uglier and uglier as we go along? The third one is kind of hideous.

7. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Wow! Way to go Morgan Matson! I liked Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, but I loved this! I could relate to Emily so much and I just loved her character. I loved the friends she made and the development of all of them throughout the novel. To be quite honest I spent the whole book hating Sloane because of how sketchy she was and the things she put Emily through, but of course I cried at the end. The ending was adorable and I just loved everything about this book!!! 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to everyone who reads this! I didn’t have many followers to begin with, but hopefully some of you stuck around even after my absence. I have a couple blog posts planned for this week and I’m hoping to start making use of this scheduling post feature. I have a feeling blogging will become my way to procrastinate when school starts.

I’m going to dive into Ms Marvel Vol. 2: Generation Why and hopefully finish it before I fall asleep!

I feel like I’m starting a trend here… *falls off face of the earth* *comes back with wrap-up/tbr* *falls again*. Honestly, when I finished exams I thought I would be free to do whatever I pleased for 4 months. Boy was I wrong. I’ve been working 8 hour days, 5 days a week and the days I do get off I spend doing my readings and homework for the online summer school class I’m taking. It’s history, btw, so LOTS of reading… sometimes it’s very boring. However, I have still been managing to squeeze in reading for fun (of course). So without further ado…

MAY WRAP-UP

So let us reflect on my “May TBR”… My goal was to continue/finish series and companion novels. Did I do this? No, of course not. I kind of did, but then strayed a little..

1. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

All I have to say is that this book was a fan-freaking-tastic concluded novel. I honestly don’t even understand how I read all three of these books back to back because the EMOTIONS. Holy cow. I literally don’t think I have cried so much while reading in so long. To top it off I have terrible seasonal allergies that make my eyes really red and itchy so just imagine how swollen my eyes were from crying… 5 stars for Jenny Han.

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer

Listening to this on audiobook was the best decision I have ever made. I have never been so engrossed in something in my life. I cannot wait to read Winter. I actually have to stop thinking about this book right now or I’ll go crazy with longing. 5 stars for Marissa Meyer.

3. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Okay, first mistake, I was so into Cress that I really should have continued with fantasy/dystopian. However, I just really wanted a cutesy romance so I started this instead… Second mistake, I kept forcing myself to read even when I wasn’t feeling it. But once I got into it I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a good story, a nice romance, and there were really great characters! 4 stars only because the mood wasn’t right when I read it.

4. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I should have learned after reading one contemporary that I shouldn’t continue onto my contemporary streak… but no, I continued. This book was just really random… I should have known the insta love would bother me since that’s exactly what the book is about, but the family aspect of it was really nice and unexpected so it gets a 3 star rating.

5. Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Holy moly. The mixed reviews of this book made me hesitant, but DAMN. I am so glad I read this when I did, I definitely think I prevented a serious reading slump. Levana’s story was so interesting and I’m glad I now know why she never shows her face. However, some other things I wanted to know and felt were important were just brushed off. 4 stars for Marissa Meyer this time.

6. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, what even was this book. I started off reading it and taking my time like tralalalala… Honestly, it was like I was taking a stroll through the park. Then, BAM. Love, happiness, betrayal, death, hatred, surprise, badassery, more surprise… Then the very last chapter…. MIND = BLOWN. I honestly think I am the world’s most naive reader.. I NEVER see things coming. Literally. Everyone else: oh yeah I totally saw that coming, I definitely had a feeling, I guessed from the beginning…
Me: WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK JUST HAPPENED? LITERALLY. WHAT IS LIFE.
Also, Chaolena forever. Dorian is cute, but not for Celaena. 5 glorious stars for the Queen herself, Sarah J. Maas. Like girl, where did you even come from because you’re actually unreal.

JUNE TBR

So because I’m so extremely terrible at following TBRs, I’m not really going to make one. I would like to continue on with series… I’m currently reading The Assassin’s Blade and I’m about to order Heir of Fire online.. So we’ll see how that goes. I’m going to Cuba for a week on June 11th and I plan on taking and finishing as many books as I can, so for that week I’m probably just going to try to read only books under 350-400 pages. I want to try to knock as many books off my TBR as possible and I think that will be an excellent way to do it.

What was your favourite book you read this month? What’s your most anticipated book on your June TBR? Let me know!

MARCH WRAP-UP!

I honestly don’t understand how it’s April 4th… March has gone by so quickly I’m dumbfounded. My first final exam is in exactly one week and I could not be less prepared…Between midterms, final papers, and moving my sister into her new house I’m surprised I even did any reading this month! Well… I’m actually not surprised… because my favourite way to procrastinate on school work is by reading for pleasure.

1. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

I spent the first 21 days of March tackling this bad boy… I don’t know how I read A Feast For Crows in a week when everyone seems to think it was the most boring, and yet I could not seem to finish ADWD. It honestly took every ounce of my being to push through and not give up. I needed to finish before the new season NEXT WEEKEND! Sorry George, this one was only 4/5 stars for me because I was kind of bored.

2. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

As soon as I finished ADWD I needed something romantic that could help me stop thinking about how depressing ASOIF is… and how tragic the season finale of The 100 was. I basically just really badly needed a pick me up and let me tell you, what a perfect book I picked!! This was so cute, it made me giggle, and I just loved it. 5 stars for you Sir Nicholas Sparks!

3. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Literally all I have to say about this book is.. WOW! Rainbow Rowell seriously blows me away with her writing. I liked Eleanor & Parka lot, I loveeed Fangirl.. but holy shit. Attachments was so funny, so cute, and honestly I can’t even find words. The ending ❤ ❤ ❤ my stomach flipped so many times. AAAhhh, just perfect. Go read it. Right now. All the 5’s!!

4. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Can you tell I’m on a serious contemporary romance rampage?? WHERE HAS COLLEN HOOVER BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! This was my first book by her, and wow, seriously blown away. My heart broke so many times in this book, but the ending could not have been more perfect. Ridge… *swoons* *sighs* *passes out*. 5 stars for you Colleen Hoover!

Considering it took me 21 days to finish reading ONE book, I’m kind of impressed I was able to catch up with another 3 books… plus studying for midterms and write final papers and all that fun stuff… I’m also still 6 books ahead of schedule for my goal of 60 books this year, go me!

APRIL TBR!

I’m not going to stick to a TBR list this month because I have 5 final exams and as much as I hate to admit it, I probably wont be doing much reading… So I think the best thing to do is to just read what I feel like, when I feel like it… I’ve already finished Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, so I’ll probably continue on my contemporary rampage until I get sick of them! But one thing is forsure… I’m reading Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins as soon as it comes out next week!

What are you guys reading this month? Are you keeping up on your goals for this year? Do you have any anticipated releases this month? Let me know!

FEBRUARY WRAP-UP!

This has been the story of my life for all of February and I swear if March continues down this road, I’m done. I will get on a plane and leave Canada as soon as humanly possible.

BOOKS

This month I stuck to my February TBR and was able to complete most of it, which included:

A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen

A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin (up to page 506)

Overall I’m relatively pleased that I was even able to get that much reading done. It totals roughly 1,600+ pages so even though it doesn’t seem like much, it definitely took quite a bit of time. I also had to balance reading for school, studying for 4 midterms, writing 2 papers, and all that other fun stuff… so not too shabby! However, there are also a few other things I want to wrap-up for February.

MOVIES

There are three movies that I watched this month that I was extremely pleased with. Are you surprised they are all book to movie adaptations? Probably not.

First and foremost, The DUFF! I honestly never intended on reading this book or seeing the movie simply because I felt there were other things higher on my priority list. I also didn’t necessarily love the idea of the “designated ugly fat friend”, but SHIT. This movie was SO FUNNY. I am so extremely glad I saw it and I probably still won’t read the book because I don’t like reading books after I’ve seen the movie, but wow did I enjoy this movie. Also, Robbie Amell? Can you say SMOKIN’?! Plus he’s Canadian… so even more swoon-worthy.

Mae Whitman is also absolutely fantastic. She is so funny and has the best expressions I think she’s probably going to be up there with Jennifer Lawrence on my list of celebrity girl crushes. She needs to be in more movies, like now.

The day after I saw The DUFF in theatres I ended up picking up The Best of Me on Blu Ray to add to my Nicholas Sparks movie collection, of course. I watched this with my mom and was pretty pleased with it. I hadn’t read this one before seeing it so I didn’t know how it was going to end. It was extremely tragic and very typical of a Nicholas Sparks movie. And although the ending tied it up nicely, I wasn’t really satisfied. The actors did a really wonderful job though so of course there were a lot of feels and I may have cried… twice.

Annnnd the third movie was, *drumroll please*, Love, Rosie. I watched this one on my actual birthday with my bestfriend and man was it a rollercoaster of emotions! I feel like such a butt because I didn’t read this one before watching the movie either… so that’s 3 for 3… but, whatever! I still really enjoyed it and didn’t expect it to be so sad. SUCH BAD TIMING FOR EVERYTHING! But, I mean, I guess that’s life right? Sometimes things don’t happen when we want/need them to and that’s what made the movie so much more relatable. But, let’s be real, Finnick Odair and Clary Fray? This movie was going to be perfection no matter what.

TV SHOWS

Me at least ten times during every episode…

I didn’t even intend on including this in my wrap-up, but I started watching it on Netflix last night before bed… and what a horrible idea that was. I’m now absolutely downright obsessed with The 100. I stayed up until 2am watching it and then woke up at 9am to continue… I haven’t gone to bed at 2am in like… years. I’m usually such a grandma, but I couldn’t stop! How do you stop watching when they end every episode in a cliffhanger?! I’m so terrible with binge watching TV shows at the worst times… as if I don’t have a million papers and exams coming up.

MUSIC

And last but not least for the month of February… I have been listening to Hozier nonstop! I have had this one song stuck in my head for the last week.

MARCH TBR!

Besides finishing A Dance With Dragons I’m not going to stick to much of a schedule in March. I’ll probably just end up reading what I feel like reading. I’ve been really wanting to read contemporary recently, so maybe I’ll pick up something by Morgan Matson or Rainbow Rowell. I also don’t really have a number on how many books I want to read since I have a ton of school work to do, so we’ll see!

What did you guys read/watch/listen to this month? What do you plan on reading next month? Are you keeping up on goals and challenges for this year? Let me know in the comments!

February is the absolute worst month to have a birthday in, particularly when you live somewhere that experiences harsh winters. This month I’ve had 4 midterm exams, 2 papers due, and 1 quiz… along with actually leaving my house and going to school in -40 degree weather. This also means I’ve always hated having my birthday in February. Anyways, enough complaining… I turned 21 on February 23rd! I’ve always wished my birthday was in the summer so I could throw some extravagant outdoor barbecue party, but I guess I just have to keep dreaming… Unless of course I move somewhere that’s warm in February.

Turning 21 in Canada isn’t anything special. I’ve already had my “sweet 16”, I became an “adult” when I turned 18, and I could start buying alcohol and going out to bars at 19… so yeah, 21, not really that great. So really all that’s important to me is seeing the people I care about and having fun! This year my birthday fell on a Monday so that also made things awkward to celebrate.

After winning the room escape!

So, the Friday before my birthday I went to the movies to see the DUFF with a few friends! Boy am I glad I did… that movie was freaking hilarious. Then on Sunday we went to something called a “room escape” where you’re essentially locked in a room for 45 minutes and you have to solve puzzles and find clues that will lead you to the key to escape. Both of my sisters and their boyfriends, my brother, and two of my bestfriends came to play and it was seriously the funniest thing ever. Somehow we all came out alive with 5 minutes to spare. Then we grabbed Starbucks and went back to my house where my sister and my mom made homemade spaghetti and meatballs for dinner! Then cake, presents, and the Academy Awards! On Monday, my actual birthday, I went out for sushi with my bestfriend and her boyfriend and slept over at her house downtown. I had school at 8am the next morning, but I go to school in downtown Toronto where she lives so it was a lot more convenient than my normal subway commute. And that was that!! All in all it was a pretty wicked birthday, but now what you’ve all been waiting for… the book/other fun stuff haul!

I don’t order from BookOutlet a lot because most of the time I end up putting a bunch of books in my cart that I don’t even think I would end up getting around to I just do it because they are good priced… BUT. When I saw Attachments and Landline AND Since You’ve Been Gone on the website I just had to make an order. Then of course my mom paid for them and I had to pretend it was a surprise… haha. I also ordered Opposition from BookOutlet as well because I read the first two books on iBooks and intended on getting the rest at some point. The cover is heinous, but whatcha gonna do.

Then one of my sisters let her boyfriend pick out all my gifts from them… and so naturally one thing he picked was The Awkward Human Survival Guide. It actually looks hilarious, but the funnier thing was my bestfriend also got me the same book. So hopefully I can return one and pick up something else! My bestfriend also got me that little “Why You’re My Bestie” book and it’s got a bunch of fill in the blanks and stuff inside and she filled it all out for me.

My brother got me the Sansa Stark and Robb Stark Vinyl Pop Figures to add to my Stark family collection and the Olaf plush toy that my dog is intent on killing.. My other friend got me the Dancing Baby Groot, which is so friggin cute! Anddd my mom got me a Pandora Charm Bracelet with a 21 charm!

That’s it for all my bookish/nerdy birthday goodies! I had such a lovely birthday despite the cold and the abundance of school work. I’ll be back tomorrow with my February Wrap-Up because I’m going to try to squeeze in as much reading as I can today!

Okay I’m not going to give a synopsis. If you haven’t heard of this book you must be living under a rock, because it has been all over everything since it came out. 12 holiday stories by 12 fantastic young adult authors. What more do you need to know? Seriously. This book is funny, charming, swoon worthy and just an all around great holiday read. I finished it last week just before Christmas Eve and ugh, it was just perfect. All together I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars as a whole because the whole anthology was marvellous. Now I’m going to go through each story and talk about what I liked/didn’t like and give an individual rating. I am not going to summarize them because I seriously suck at summarizing and the short stories are too small I might ruin it for you.

“Midnights” by Rainbow Rowell

I loved this one. It was a great way to start off the book and it really set my standards high for the rest of the stories. I liked how it was told over a few years in a row and you got to see some changes in characters. 5 out of 5 stars.

“The Lady and the Fox” by Kelly Link

Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about this one. I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters and a lot of the time I was just confused. I liked the supernatural element (if you can call it that) and thought it was a neat story but definitely not my favourite. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

“Angels in the Snow” by Matt De La Peña

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. For one thing it made me cry… but that’s really not a surprise since a lot can make me cry. I didn’t really like the idea of cheating but I loved both of the characters and their stories. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

“Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me” by Jenny Han

I was disappointed in this one. I’ve only read To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, but I just had higher hopes for this story. It was cute-ish, but also kind of boring. I didn’t connect to the main character, she was annoying, and the love interest was irritating. 3 out of 5 stars.

“It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown” by Stephanie Perkins

Now I know why everyone raves about Stephanie Perkins. I cried, I laughed, my stomach flipped, and I didn’t want it to end. This story was seriously perfect. Give me all of her books now… 5 out of 5 stars!

“Your Temporary Santa” by David Levithan

I didn’t like this story as much as I thought I would. David Levithan is usually on point but this one kind of let me down. I couldn’t connect to the characters, the story was weird and the conflict with the sister/mother/father who left just made me uncomfortable. I don’t know why, I just wasn’t a fan. 3 out of 5 stars.

“Krampuslauf” by Holly Black

I really liked how this story was about Krampus! It made me laugh a bit and I felt like I could connect with the main character. However, I feel like it needed more time to blossom if you will. The story just felt a bit too rushed. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

“What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?” by Gayle Forman

Love, love, love! This story was cute, funny, charming, witty. I thoroughly enjoyed it (and I’m pretty sure this one made me cry too). Definitely one of my favourites. Sign me up for more Gayle Forman. 5 out of 5 stars.

“Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus” by Myra McEntire

Not my most favourite, not my least favourite. I wasn’t captivated by it, but I also didn’t hate it. It was funny at times, kind of cute, but also kind of boring at other times. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

“Welcome to Christmas, CA” by Kiersten White

I seriously think this one might be my favourite. I loved it. When I say I cried in some of the others one, I sobbed in this one. The way her family situation played out in the end just had me floored. I could not contain my emotions. Also, as a plus, cute boy who cooks AND bakes. Needless to say, 5 out of 5 stars!

“Star of Bethlehem” by Ally Carter

I really enjoyed this one. It was kind of bizarre and confusing to me at first just because I was like “who the hell is this weird girl who gave up her plane ticket to New York and WHO IS SHE RUNNING FROM”. However, the small town family was so sweet and the boy was adorable. 4 out of 5 stars.

“The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor

Really great ending to the book. I think I was expecting something different so I wasn’t blown away, but I really did enjoy this. Laini Taylor writes so beautifully and I just cannot wait to read more from her in the future. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Overall this anthology was just so great for the holiday season and if you haven’t picked it up yet, I strongly suggest you do. It will most definitely be a staple of mine every December.

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1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions they’ve set you.4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.5. Nominate ten people.

I was nominated for this award about 2 weeks ago, but because I was still doing exams and Christmas shopping and wrapping and all of the things that December entails, I haven’t had time to do this! Which also means, most of the bloggers I follow have already done it… So I’m not going to tag anyone or make any other questions, but if you haven’t yet done this feel free!!

Now for the 10 questions:

Favourite reading snack?

I tend not to snack when I’m reading! If anything I will sip on a tea, but even then I usually get too into the story and forget about the drink until it gets cold… So yeah, no snacks for me!

Would you rather read first, or movie first?

I would definitely rather read the book first. However, there have been a few exceptions. I did not read The Maze Runner before I saw that in theatres, but that is also because I didn’t really hear great things about the book series. I saw Dear John in theatres when I was half way through reading the book, but I did finish it even after I saw it. Most of the time I end up running out and buying books to power through the week before a movie comes out, for example Divergent, The Last Song, & Safe Haven. OR, I’ll put off seeing a movie until sometimes years later because I am so intent on reading the book first, for example The Book Thief & The Great Gatsby

Thoughts on The Fault in Our Stars?

Oh goodness! I read the book years ago when I was still in high school and all I remember really is that I cried so hard I had to PUT THE BOOK DOWN to accommodate my tears. “That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.”All I can say about the book and movie is … the feels.

TBR this holiday season?

I have a December/Holiday TBR here. However, I have been failing miserably and haven’t accomplished much reading yet. I had a bunch of really long books on my TBR and I think that’s the problem. I’m just gonna start picking up smaller books and some graphic novels so that I can at least make a significant dent in my overall TBR piles.

Favourite holiday reads?

I have never specifically read anything during the holiday before. I am currently reading My True Love Gave to Me and I am really loving it. This might become a staple in my future holiday reading. I usually just read whatever books I have on hand that I haven’t read yet! I don’t tend to read specific books at specific times of the year.

Thoughts on film adaptions?

I feel like I’m one of the only people in the world that doesn’t make a stink about film adaptations. I mean, if something is completely wrong then yes of course that is annoying and I will definitely get irritated. That being said, I really don’t hold my standards high enough to be disappointed, in fact, I’m usually pleasantly surprised. I understand how extremely difficult it must be to turn books that can be between 200-1,000 pages into a movie that is maybe 2 hours (or if you make a part two then 4 hours total). Realistically there are A LOT of details that they physically cannot incorporate into films and for the most part I’m okay with that. I’m just happy they get made into movies in the first place. The thing I’m usually the most critical of is the choice in actors, not because of the actors themselves being poor, but because everyone of course comes up with their own idea of what they should look it.

Top 3 favourite series?

Oh dear… Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, of course. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (every book she ever writes will be my favourite and it will be mashed into one because it is technically all the same world). A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, because childhood. There are a ton of different series I could choose, but these will always hold a special place in my heart.

Contemporary young adult; yay or nay?

I typically prefer Fantasy just because I love magic and made up creatures, but lately I have been LOVING contemporary. It just makes me so happy and squeal-y and excited. It’s cute and fun and YAY!

How is your 2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge going?

I didn’t have one! I mean I guess I could have started one half way through the year when I really started using Goodreads and blogging… but that would have bothered me. I need things to go full circle so once I miss something starting I just automatically thing “oh I’ll start it next time” or “I’ll do this next year”!

Which fictional character would you be for a day?

I am not going to say anyone from Harry Potter because that’s definitely a given and everyone probably answers with that. I would LOVE to be either Isabelle Lightwood or Rose Hathaway for a day. One, because they are both kick ass female characters. Two, because the fantasy aspects. Three, because being surrounded by attractive boys is always fun.

Thanks again to Ellen for the nomination! This was so much fun, but her questions were definitely very tricky…

I know it isn’t the end of the month just yet, but I don’t see myself finishing the book I am currently reading in the next two days so I figured I could post a summary now. Although I haven’t read very many books this books, I have read some really good books this month. Hey, like my professors always say, quality over quantity! Am I right 😉 So without further ado… here are my September reads!

First – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

This book was absolutely adorable. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and honestly, it was just the book to transition my way from summer to back to school. I loved the sisters, I loved the father, I loved Peter… It made me laugh out loud and it also made me cry. Like. Really cry. I think I had to put the book down to accommodate my tears, and that rarely happens. Definitely started off my month right.

Second – Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

All I kept thinking the entire time I was reading this book was “why in the heck did I not read this sooner”. This could quite possibly be the best book I have read all year. Needless to say, 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. This is another one that made me cry. Honestly, it looks like I just had a super emotional month or something. But no, this book is definitely cry worthy. It just gave me so many freaking feelings!! I should probably do a review on this just so I can talk about how much I loved it.

Three – We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Picked this one up because of the hype on Booktube and all over the internet for that matter. I’m glad I did, but I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I gave it 4 out of 5 on Goodreads mostly because you have to be a really fantastic writer to mind f*ck people that badly. When I got to the end where you find out what really happened I literally felt like I was going to be sick. Everyone said to go into it not knowing anything, but I feel like I should have been warned because I really was not ready for a book like this.

Four – Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Volume #1) by Naoko Takeuchi

I’ve been wanting to get into more graphic novels and manga lately so I picked up the first volume in the original Sailor Moon series that has been renewed and is suppose to be better translated. It was awesome! 4 out of 5 on Goodreads. It was so much fun, and really renewed my love of Sailor Moon.

Five – The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

Again, 4 out of 5 on Goodreads. This book was definitely a lot different than books I usually read, but it was a great read. It had a really interesting and important message and I will hold onto it for a long time. It’s one of those books that makes you stop and reevaluate your life and what you hold as important.

Six & Seven – Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

You can find my review on Obsidian here, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I thought this book was an awesome start to the series. I haven’t read anything else by Jennifer L. Armentrout and this definitely made me want to. Onyx is the second book in the series and I have to pick it up right after I finished the first. It deserved a 5 out of 5 on Goodreads. There was more action, more romance, just more everything! It was an awesome sequel.

That’s it for the books I finished in the month of September! I guess 7 isn’t too bad of a number considering I also have to keep up on readings and assignments at school! I am currently about 150 pages into The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and about 100 or so pages into Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (volume 2) by Naoko Takeuchi. As soon as I finish up these books I’ll be diving right into my Fall TBR which can be found here.